Thai PM recommends careful actions along Thai-Cambodian border

BANGKOK, May 11 (TNA) - Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-ocha suggests authorities to check whether a replica of the Preah Vihear Temple stands in an unsettled area along the Thai-Cambodian border and any action that could cause a dispute should not be taken. Regarding an official order to close access to the replica on the Mor E-Daeng Cliff in Si Sa Ket Province in the Thai Northeast, located along the Thai-Cambodian border, Prime Minister General Prayut, who is also Chief of the Thai army-led National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), told journalists on May 10 that the Hague-based International Court of Justice (ICJ) is considering issues related to the Preah Vihear Temple; so, Thailand and Cambodia should not take any action for the time being. Asked whether the replica should be demolished, the prime minister noted that concerned authorities must check first whether the replica stands within the 4.6-square-kilometer disputed area along the Thai-Cambodian border as, above all, both countries are prohibited from taking any action there. Meanwhile, Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai stated that Cambodia has not complained about the replica and bilateral ties between Bangkok and Phnom Penh are very good. Opining that the replica is an internal affair of Thailand, the foreign minister pointed out that replicas exist worldwide and are normally aimed at honoring the real places. The foreign minister also denied his ministry had complained against the Preah Vihear Temple replica. (TNA)